Concerns about the impact of the drought are heightened by the existing poor nutritional status of many children in North Korea.

A 2012 study shows that as many as one in four children have symptoms of chronic malnutrition, UNICEF said.

According to the UN body, responding to the current drought crisis was difficult given the international embargoes imposed on North Korea and the lack of funding for children-focused programs in the country.

The international agency, however, has released emergency supplies to help those in the worst-affected provinces.

The supplies, UNICEF said, include water purification tablets, water storage containers and health supplies for children with acute malnutrition.

Last month, South Korea’s Unification Ministry, monitoring the drought on the Korean Peninsula, predicted that the North’s 2015 crop production could fall 20 percent year-on-year.

UN figures show that over 70 percent of North Koreans are food insecure and 28 percent of children under the age of five have suffered stunted growth due to malnutrition.